Feeder for feeding document to document imaging system and method for feeding documents

• US 9,932,184 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2015
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Opex Corporation
• Inventors: Helmlinger, David, Miller, Gary, Chezik, Peter M., DeWitt, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrison, Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US14/751,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20150291376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 271121, 271122, 271124, 271 301, 271 306, 271 308, 271 309
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 3/00 Sorting according to destination collating the pages of a book B42C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/03 indicating an entity which is measured, estimated, evaluated, calculated or determined but which does not constitute an entity which is adjusted or changed by the control process per se
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/11 indicating that the input or output entities exclusively relate to machine elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/422615 from opposite part-support elements, e.g. operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/42262 by acting on surface of outermost articles of the pile, e.g. in nip between pair of belts or rollers Nota: gripping pile see B65H2301/4224
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/5111 Printing; Marking
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/5125 Restoring form
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2408/11 Sorters or machines for sorting articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/13 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/20 Location in space
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/30 Numbers, e.g. of windings or rotations
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/512 Marks, e.g. invisible to the human eye; Patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/512 Starting; Stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/30 using acoustic or ultrasonic elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1916 Envelopes and articles of mail
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/125 between two sets of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/68 Reducing the speed of articles as they advance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/70 Article bending or stiffening arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/047 : separating from the top of a pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0669 : Driving devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0676 : with two or more separator rollers in the feeding direction
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/523 : the retainers positioned over articles separated from the bottom of the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/5238 : Retainers of the pad-type, e.g. friction pads
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/54 : Pressing or holding devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 37/00 : Article or web delivery apparatus incorporating devices for performing specified auxiliary operations incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/023 : between a pair of belts forming a transport nip
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/025 : between belts and rotary means, e.g. rollers, drums, cylinders or balls, forming a transport nip
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/066 : the articles resting on rollers or balls
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/068 : between one or more rollers or balls and stationary pressing, supporting or guiding elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/26 : Duplicate, alternate, selective, or coacting feeds
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/14 : by photoelectric feelers or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/20 : Controlling associated apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for processing documents are provided. The apparatus includes a feeder for receiving a packet of a plurality of documents and separating the documents to serially feed the documents to a scanner. A retard adjacent the feeder is operable in first and second positions. In the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet. In the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard. The system further includes a sensor for detecting a characteristic of the documents in a packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold. A drive mechanism automatically drives the retard pad between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing documents, comprising:

a feeder operable to receive a packet of documents and separate the documents to serially feed the documents away from the feeder;

a retard adjacent the feeder operable in a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet, and wherein in the second position, the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap between the feeder and the retard;

a sensor operable to detect a characteristic of the documents in the packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a predetermined threshold, wherein the sensor is positioned upstream from the feeder so that the sensor detects the characteristic prior to the packet entering the feeder;

a drive mechanism for automatically driving the retard between the first and second positions in response to the detected characteristic.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the feeder has an engagement surface for engaging the documents, and the engagement surface has a coefficient of friction, wherein the retard has a coefficient of friction lower than the coefficient of friction of the engagement surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive mechanism comprises a rotatable cam, wherein in a first rotational position an eccentric lobe of the cam displaces the retard into the first position and in a second rotational position the eccentric lobe is displaced away so that the retard moves to the second position.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising an arm connected with the cam, wherein rotation of the cam displaces the arm thereby driving the retard between the first and second positions.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising a roller wherein the roller forms a nip with the feeder and wherein the roller maintains the nip with the feeder as the retard is displaced between the first and second positions.

6. A method for processing documents, comprising the steps of:

conveying a packet of documents toward a feeder;

detecting a characteristic of the documents in the packet indicative of whether the number of documents in the packet exceeds a threshold, wherein the step of detecting uses a sensor and occurs during the step of conveying and is upstream from the feeder so that the sensor detects the characteristic prior to the packet entering the feeder;

serially feeding the documents away from the feeder, wherein a retard adjacent the feeder is operable in a first position in which the retard forms a nip with the feeder so that the retard is operable to impede the progress of one or more documents in the packet while the feeder feeds one of the documents in the packet, and a second position in which the retard is spaced apart from the feeder to form a gap;

selectively driving the retard with a drive mechanism between the first position and the second position in response to the step of detecting a characteristic.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of selectively driving the retard comprises selectively driving a displaceable arm.

8. The method of claim 6 comprising the step of driving the documents between a roller and the feeder when the retard is in either the first or second position.